The Life of a Sneak
by username12345300
Summary: This story takes place in Harry's fifth year and it is from sixth-year Ravenclaw Marietta's point of view.


The platform, packed with people, was almost as crowded as the Celestina Warbeck concert I'd been to over the summer with my cousins—she is England's most wicked singing sorceress; we got front row seats and the concert rocked! Angelina Johnson, a tall Gryffindor girl in her seventh year, bumped into me and knocked me- and my cart _with my trunk in it_- over.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Angelina put my cart back upright and helped me to my feet.

"It's okay," I mumbled, pushing my curly, reddish-blond hair behind my ears. I heaved my trunk up and she took one end and helped me get it into the cart. I glanced at my mother, who seemed to be engaged in a conversation with another witch about her age.

Angelina skipped away and I was left standing there with my cart. I was staring at the "Hogwarts Express, eleven o' clock" sign for what seemed like hours but was probably only a few moments when I was snapped back to my senses by my mother's loud, bossy voice.

"Marietta, do you need help getting the trunk onto the train?" The trunk was heavy, and I couldn't carry it onto the train, so I nodded reluctantly, not wanting to admit that I needed my mother's help. We both took one end and carried the trunk to an empty compartment near the back of the train.

"Remember, if you've forgotten anything—"

"I know, I'll write and you'll send it to me." I rolled my eyes. My mum gave the same speech every year. I knew what was coming next and mouthed the words as she said them.

"Mind your manners, follow the rules, write once a week, have fun, and remember that I love you."

"I will."

"Goodbye, dear." She was gone before I could say "goodbye" back. Most of my friends' parents would have hugged and kissed their children, droning on and on about how much they would miss them. I was glad my mother didn't do that. She was already annoying enough, and besides, I was in my sixth year at Hogwarts. In less than two years, I would have my own job and my own house.

I strolled through the train, glancing in the compartments to see if Cho or any of my other friends was in one. I didn't see any of them, so I went back to my compartment and stared out the window at platform nine and three-quarters.

* * *

><p>Cho would probably be there soon. Cho Chang was my best friend, and she used to be fun to be around until the end of last year when her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, died. (Don't ask me how he died. Dumbledore said that he was murdered by You-Know-Who. I don't actually understand or believe any of that, but it's the closest thing to an explanation that anyone has bothered to give me.)She was an emotional wreck after that, and <em>not<em> pleasant to be around. Being her friend was really quite tiresome. I was one of her few friends that stuck by her, and when she wasn't sobbing uncontrollably into one of our shoulders, she was moping around and wouldn't do _anything._ And during the summer, I could tell she was still upset. She didn't mention Cedric in her letters, but I could tell just by looking at her shaky handwriting.

I probably shouldn't judge her. If my boyfriend was dead, I probably would have been just as miserable as Cho was. And she would have stuck by me like I did for her.

"Help … me…" Cho panted, dragging her trunk on the floor. Speak of the devil. I got up and helped her lift it up on to the shelf next to mine. She sat down next to me, and after a moment of awkward silence, she got up.

"Where're-ya-goin'?" I said in one breath. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Cho went red. She looked at the floor and mumbled, "… want to go say hi to someone." I didn't have to ask who. Everyone knew that Harry Potter had liked her for all of last year, and she probably liked him back, despite her dating Cedric. She looked at me and asked, "Do you want to come?"

She seemed to be begging me to come just to make it slightly less awkward. She looked so desperate that I was tempted to give in, but I shook my head.

* * *

><p>Cho came back to the compartment a few minutes later.<p>

"How'd it go?" I couldn't help being curious. Cho sat down next to me and sighed.

"Harry and his friends were drenched in Stinksap."

"Stinksap?" I couldn't believe it. "How did they get drenched in _Stinksap?" _For some reason, I found them being sopping with Stinksap ridiculously funny and started laughing uncontrollably. I buried my face in my hands and I couldn't breathe. Cho started laughing, too.

I stopped giggling and sat up straight. I looked at Cho's face. She was still laughing. I didn't think she'd laughed like that since Cedric died.


End file.
